COUNTY NEWS: Record low numbers of under 18 pregnancies in Sussex

Ralph Blackburn, data reporter

The rate of pregnancies among under 18s in Sussex is at its lowest since records began, new figures show.

In 1998, when the Office for National Statistics first started compiling conception data by local authority, the pregnancy rate for young women aged between 15 and 17 was 37 per 1,000.

By 2016, the year covered by the latest statistics, that figure had more than halved to 12.

Natika Halil, chief executive of sexual health charity FPA, put the ‘dramatic fall in teenage pregnancy rates’ down to hard work from health and education professionals, as well as the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy which ended in 2010.

She explained: “That’s why it’s so concerning to see the cuts to sexual health services across the country, which could so easily undermine this hard-won achievement, and mean that we see these results reverse in the coming years.

“Teenage pregnancy can be a result of many different factors, but we know it can be reduced by investing the right time, resources and expertise into services and education.

“This investment not only saves money in the long term, but also helps prevent the range of negative long-term educational, health and social outcomes that young parents and their children are more likely to experience.”

In total, 162 young women under 18 became pregnant in West Sussex in 2016.

Of these women 78, or 48 per cent, chose to have an abortion. This rate has reduced slightly since 1998, from 51 per cent.

The percentage of young mothers who chose to have an abortion was higher in the under 16 bracket.

The statistics covering under 16s have been merged into three year periods, as the annual figures are very small.

They show that between 2014 and 2016 there were 103 underage pregnancies, with 63 per cent choosing to have an abortion.

Ms Halil added: “It’s important to remember that whether or not young people are sexually active, or choose to become parents, they should never face stigma or judgement.